


Red in Tooth and Claw

by DaemonAdamas



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Assassination Attempt(s), Bad Decisions, Betrayal, Blood and Violence, Bottom Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Enemies to Lovers, Established Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Fights, Friends to Enemies, Gun Violence, Hoshi loves tigers, I'm Bad At Tagging, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, King Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, M/M, Major Character Injury, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Relationship(s), Rough Sex, Slow Burn, Smut, Top Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, Trust Issues, Violence, Weapons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:08:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25754869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaemonAdamas/pseuds/DaemonAdamas
Summary: After ten years of tyranny, the leaders of the Resistance decide to attempt their last chance of overthrowing the king. Jihoon has always been faithful to his values, but when he meets Hoshi, the tyrant he has been fighting against for years, he is no longer sure of what to do...
Relationships: Boo Seungkwan/Chwe Hansol | Vernon, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Lee Seokmin | DK, Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 6
Kudos: 54





	1. Prologue

2031\. In ten years, things had changed a lot. When this man who constantly wore an iron tiger's helmet and called himself Hoshi came to power in South Korea, no one could have foreseen how society would evolve. The young man, who was 25 years old at the time had convinced, with his ecologist and environmentalist speeches, a population relatively concerned about the future of the planet. In the first year, he annexed many territories in the world, with an expansionist intention never seen before. He had expanded his empire at lightning speed, and ten years later, he reigned as an unchallenged sovereign over all of Asia. When voices had raised against him, he had silenced them. Hoshi was a self-proclaimed, cantankerous and irascible king whose watchword was authority. 

  
  


After ten years of sovereignty over his territory, Hoshi didn't appear much in public. His decisions, taken with the utmost discretion, were published in the press or announced in the media by his spokesperson. Very occasionally, he would show up at prestigious events attended by the wealthy and privileged elite, but most of the time, he would remain in his palace - which earned him a reputation of being a mysterious man. This was also due to the fact that no one had ever seen his face. He always wore a helmet in the shape of a tiger's head, made of iron in his early days and then of gold at the height of his glory. He was discreet but could be ruthless whenever he wanted, and none of his prey resisted his attacks, which earned him the nickname of Tiger.

  
  


Hoshi's obsession with tigers was exactly what changed the world. His immense territory extended from Australia in the south to the tundra of Russia in the north, and was bordered by the Urals in the west and the Pacific coast in the east. This vast kingdom, he wanted to turn it into a huge reserve for tigers. He had succeeded. Tigers were everywhere, from the streets of the cities to the fields in the countryside. Nothing was the property of humans, it was all tigers. The ruler considered himself as one of them. Hoshi had saved a species from extinction, but at what cost…? Even if many other wild animals had settled with the tigers, like lions or panthers, Hoshi had given the crown of the animal kingdom to the tiger. The big cats were now living in the streets like the stray cats before, and it was a necessity to cohabit with them.

  
  


The simplest human freedoms were violated during Hoshi's reign. It was impossible to escape the surveillance cameras that proliferated in the cities. Brigades made surveillance patrols in all neighbourhoods, in all weather conditions, day as well as night. They were soldiers armed with assault rifles and sometimes accompanied by beasts trained for the attack. This elite military unit was recognizable by their bronze tiger-head helmets, which hid their faces. The right to information was non-existent. Radio and television stations broadcast propaganda or tiger documentaries on a loop, and the only newspaper allowed, Cat's Eye, was bribed by the government. And of course, any opposition to the current regime led to a death sentence.

  
  


Of course, every important figure had his opponents, but Hoshi's were quiet. The Resistance, the untamed group that fought against Hoshi’s tyranny, generally lived in the countryside or in suburbs that were less watched than the cities.Some were city dwellers, but despite their convictions, they had to bend to the king's will to avoid the death penalty. Some others simply wanted to escape the totalitarian regime and its surveillance, and had created an alternative society. An underground society. They had taken over the abandoned subway systems and lived there day and night without ever seeing the sun.They were safe, although they lived illegally, because Hoshi's troops never ventured underground. They were the people to turn to if you wanted to travel without the cameras watching you. But they were fierce and very dangerous. 

  
  


Cities had changed a lot since the King of the Beasts came to power. The largest were surrounded by high walls and barbed wire. The smallest were abandoned and those who lived there starved to death. Seoul was the capital of Hoshi's vast kingdom, it was the city that had changed the most. The wall was the highest and most guarded, and getting over it was a challenge. And if you did, you would discover that the buildings that were once so modern were overgrown with dense and uncontrolled vegetation. Tigers and other wild animals were roaming the streets. In downtown Seoul, towering over all other buildings was a large tower, with a shorter one either side- Hoshi’s palace, built immediately at his command. It cast a shadow over all the other structures built at his whim, serving as reminder of his immense power.

  
  


That's what society looked like in 2031. Surviving in the middle of the jungle, being preyed on by the most dangerous beast of all. Hoshi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello ! ^^
> 
> This is my first story on Ao3, I hope you'll like it!  
> English is not my first language so please forgive me if there are any mistakes! I usually write in French so this is a challenge for me. 
> 
> This story will be quite long (I can't predict exactly how many chapters). It takes place in a dark universe although based on a funny idea (Hoshi and his love of tigers). Some elements of this story can be triggerring (such as violence, blood, death etc) so I warn !  
> I don't know when I'll update. Maybe soon, maybe in a long time. You can check my twitter @DaemonAdamas to see the progress of my work :)  
> The other chapters will be longer than the prologue, by the way
> 
> Also, this story was inspired by a tweet from @starry_svts (who kindly allowed me to make it into a fic so I thank her)! She's also the beta-reader of "Red in Tooth in Claw" (and I thank her for that too!) What would I do without her? ;-;
> 
> Feel free to give me your feedback, it will help me progress as a writer!  
> Bisou ! Kiss <3


	2. The Colosseum

"He’s just announced the Circus Games", sighed Wonwoo as he threw the crumpled newspaper on the small wooden table.

In the cramped living room of the old barracks, two men were squeezing up together on a narrow sofa, while the third one, who had just brought the news, was heading towards a small fireplace to revive the fire.

"Another terrible invention," sighed Minghao, the more slender of the two men on the sofa. "He hasn't had a horrid idea like that in a month."

Jihoon, the smallest of the three, picked up the paper and looked at the front page. A beautiful colored picture of the Colosseum-.the gigantic amphitheater the king built on a whim had never been used since its inauguration one year ago, after three years of construction work. The title was, "The Die is Cast". He flipped through the newspaper to get to the article that interested him. He quickly scanned through it and understood what it was about.

"This is a public execution. One hundred sentenced to death in the Colosseum."

"Is there any way to prevent it?" Asked Minghao.

"I don't think so," Wonwoo grumbled, annoyed. "The Colosseum is going to be highly secured."

"Why would it be more secure than the other buildings?"

"This seems unlikely, but... what if Hoshi goes there?" Jihoon spoke up. "He seems to see this as a major event."

"That's the point! He rarely shows up in public! It's time to make a big move!" insisted Minghao.

Jihoon, Wonwoo and Minghao were the three leaders of the Resistance. For ten years, they had been working body and soul to fight against the dictatorship of the King of the Animals. Minghao was born in China and had arrived in South Korea long before Hoshi came to power. Very quickly, he understood where the actions of the self-proclaimed king would lead, and joined the Resistance shortly after its creation. Jihoon was a year older than him, and had joined the Resistance a little before him. With his strong character and deep convictions, he had established himself as a leader in a short period of time. Wonwoo, on the other hand , had been one of the first to officially join the Resistance, almost being considered one of the founders. He had been friends with Jihoon for a long time, along with two other men they had grown up with, all four born in the same year. Unfortunately, while one had tragically disappeared in a car accident some time before Hoshi's arrival, the other had joined the king's side, and their differences of opinion had definitely broken their friendship.

Of the three Resistance leaders, only Wonwoo was known to the Tiger Brigades. He was a relentlessly hunted prey because he represented a threat to the regime. Jihoon and Minghao were not listed as leaders, but they were still wanted. After ten years, the three friends were doing quite well. They were still not dead. However, they could barely afford to feed themselves and lived in a cramped, dilapidated building with only a living room and kitchen. What little money they saved they spent on weapons and ammunition. They could survive without eating, but not without fighting.

Minghao tried as best he could to convince Wonwoo to attempt to assassinate the king during the Circus Games organized the same evening but the eldest of the leaders stubbornly refused. 

Jihoon intervened then: "We should go."

"Ah! Even Jihoon hyung agrees!" exclaimed the Chinese leader.

"I never said that we were going to try to kill him," Jihoon corrected immediately.

"Then why do you want us to go?" Wonwoo wondered.

Jihoon proceeded to list his arguments: "First, Hoshi might go there. We almost never see him and it is better to know our enemy before trying to shoot him. Secondly, we never entered the Colosseum. If it is a venue that Hoshi plans to use in the future, knowing a little bit about the place will be helpful. Lastly, I have a feeling that tonight there will be something we need to see."

"A feeling?" the elder was offended. "You want us to risk our lives for a feeling?!

"The Circus Games begin at ten o'clock," Jihoon replied. "It will be dark. If we wear masks, no one will spot us."

"We haven't been in town for some time," Minghao remarked. "Maybe it has changed a lot?"

"Have you thought about what this involves?" Wonwoo asked them, distraught. "Our weapons! How do you want to enter the Colosseum with weapons that, I specify, we are obliged to take! And the money? The tickets for the show will certainly not be free..."

Jihoon gently leaned against the back of the sofa. "We put some money aside. We will take the cheapest places."

"It's for us to buy new guns!" Wonwoo got angry. "And perhaps to eat..."

Minghao, for whom going to the Colosseum without attacking the king's life was a good compromise, took the newspaper and looked for the prices for the Circus Games. "It is 30,000 won for the cheapest seats.”, he announced.

Jihoon grimaced."Well, our old guns can still do the job…”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes before rubbing his face, worn out by the stubbornness of his friends.

"And also, since you don't seem to be willing to go..." Jihoon kept on talking to Wonwoo. "That's only two tickets. We'll just eat on Saturday, it' s not a big deal...."

"It's only Wednesday, Jihoon." Wonwoo was exasperated.

Jihoon ignored the tallest one and looked at the old watch he was wearing on his wrist. It was ten o'clock in the morning. By the time the small hand would have gone all the way around the dial, they should be in the bleachers of the Colosseum. Jihoon got up from the couch and went to get something from the wardrobe. He took out a large box and put it on the table. He saw Minghao's disgusted gaze and commented "What do you expect? We're going to the town, we're not going to risk getting stupidly killed…". He took out a t-shirt with a tiger's head embroidered on the chest. "I hope it still fits me..." he sighed.

Minghao rummaged through the box filled with various objects, useful to look exemplary in the eyes of the Tiger's Brigades. He got out a belt with a buckle in the shape of a tiger. Jihoon put his T-shirt on the armrest of the sofa and looked for something else in the box. He took out various products.

"Do you want to dye your hair?" Wonwoo asked him, perplexed.

"I heard that Hoshi's followers do it a lot," Jihoon answered, shrugging his shoulders. "And besides, I must admit I kinda miss it," he added as he ran his hand through his black hair. "When I was about twenty years old, I used to do it a lot..."

"What color do you plan to do?" Minghao asked, intrigued.

"I don't know yet..."

He looked at the shades of coloring he had at his disposal. As he hesitated, Wonwoo leaned over to look in the box. Jihoon questioned him silently, raising an eyebrow. The elder just shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we are not eating until Monday." Jihoon joked.

It took them several hours to reach the desired appearance. While the eldest of the Resistance leaders had dyed his hair a purple shade, Jihoon had chosen grey and Minghao a slightly reddish brown. Jihoon was looking at himself in the only mirror they had and was passing his hand through his freshly dyed hair over and over.

"Don't you like your color?" Minghao asked.

"It just feels... weird?" Jihoon answered. "It's been years since I've done any color. I feel like I'm ten years younger."

"Well, you haven't really aged either," Wonwoo commented.

"I return the compliment," laughed Jihoon, before finally turning away from the mirror.

He looked at his watch again. It was now one o'clock. Jihoon, with the help of Minghao, prepared their weapons and ammunition. Never out of danger, they preferred to be cautious. It was only later in the evening that they realized the risks they would be taking, to attend a public execution without being sure that the leader of the regime would be there. Around seven o'clock in the evening, they got dressed, making sure to wear at least one object related to tigers. They hid their guns under their clothes as best they could, and put some ammunition in their bags. It was time to leave. 

The old house they lived in - if it could be called as such - was a few kilometers from the first wall around Seoul. They couldn't cross it without permission, but they didn't have to worry about that. Even though the capital was guarded like a prison, there were significant security breaches. Resistance fighters knew this and used it to their advantage.

The house of the Resistance leaders was once surrounded by many others, but the lack of maintenance had gotten the better of them. Now, the modest building was lost in the heart of a dense and impenetrable forest. Almost no one lived there because the place was so dangerous, but the towns were much more so, and too expensive for Jihoon, Wonwoo and Minghao. They had to make do with the little they had. Fortunately, after ten years in the jungle, they knew the place and could venture there without too much danger.

Here and there, there were ruins of old buildings and rusted car carcasses covered with vegetation. Wonwoo was leading the way with his gun in his hand, followed by Minghao, and Jihoon was bringing up the rear. A path was already made through trees and thickets, as the resistance leaders had cleared their usual route. After a few dozen minutes of walking, the three men arrived at a stairway that ran underground. It was overhung by a metal canopy that was barely visible under the greenery. The first steps were hidden by thorny bushes that had to be pushed aside to get through. Wonwoo worked at it and then moved aside to let his two friends pass. Then he, in turn, went into the darkness.

Minghao took a flashlight out of his bag and light their way. The steps were wet and slippery, and they had to descend carefully. Water dripped from the ceiling, creating a steady rhythm that resonated between the decrepit walls. The odor of mould was strong and almost unbearable, so the resistance members wrapped the bottom of their faces with a scarf so that they did not have to breathe it in. About thirty steps later, they were finally in the underground maze of the old Seoul subway. 

The network had been disused since Hoshi came to power, hence the bad state of the place. But as it was not sealed off, it still made it possible to cross the capital's border discreetly. Knowing the place very well, they ventured into one of the corridors. They walked for a few moments before a male voice shouted at them: "Don't move!"

The three leaders stood still, far from being frightened. Almost immediately, they were blinded by a beam of light from which they protected themselves with their arms. They heard a few footsteps in their direction, before the voice resumed, "Excuse me guys, I didn't recognize you."

The man lowered his flashlight, and Jihoon approached him to give him a friendly hug.

"How are you Jeonghan?" The silver-haired leader asked.

"Very well, how about you?" The said Jeonghan replied. "I didn't expect to see you today. Are you going to see Dino?"

"No," Wonwoo explained. "We're going downtown."

Jeonghan nodded and took out something like a phone from his pocket, into which he said "Cheol, send me the line 4."

A few seconds later, a sizzling voice echoed through the device: "Already? Doesn't your shift end at ten o'clock?"

"It's not for me," Jeonghan replied.

Without waiting for an answer, he said to the three leaders "Follow me."

The resistance members complied and walked in the footsteps of their host in the subway of the metro. Jeonghan, just like "Cheol," to whom he was talking, were members of a clandestine society in the Seoul underpass system. They weren't really friendly to Hoshi, but they weren't actively fighting him. They just wanted to live sheltered from the Tiger, and the underground was a good refuge. Wonwoo didn't really like the members of this society, not understanding why they didn't engage against the tyrant when they didn't agree with his actions. To him, the Foxes, as the members of the underground society called themselves, were cowards. Minghao had no opinion on the matter, since the Foxes were very useful to them with their perfect mastery of the subway. Jihoon, on the other hand, had been friends for a long time with one of their leaders, Jeonghan.

The Foxes lived in the subway all the time and never came out, never saw the light. Allies from outside brought them supplies, but they had found ways to produce their own food. Their method, however, remained a well-kept secret, because they were very mysterious. Jihoon hadn't seen Jeonghan's face since Hoshi came to power. The last time he had seen him, Jeonghan had blond hair, carefully brushed, and a flawless face with beautiful colors. Since then, the lack of sun exposure must have taken away his beauty, but Jihoon could not be certain, as the laws of the Foxes forbid to light up the face of one of their own. 

"Five minutes before the next train." The voice through Jeonghan's phone said.

Jeonghan did not answer the man, but began to discuss with the three leaders of the Resistance: "Where are you going?"

"To the Colosseum," Jihoon replied in a monotonous tone. "Hoshi is holding a public execution there."

"Oh, really?" Jeonghan falsely wondered. "Have fun then."

"We're not going there for fun," Wonwoo replied curtly.

Jeonghan ignored the elder leader's comment, and kept going: "Sorry if I surprised you earlier. I didn't recognize you with your new hair color."

"Do you really see colors with so few lights?" Minghao asked.

Again, Jeonghan ignored the comment.

"We're being extra cautious at the moment. A tiger entered the Earth last week. Or was it last month? I don't know. Anyway, we had to shoot it down. It had a Brigade collar on. If they start going underground, it's bad for us."

"As long as it's not a human..." Jihoon whispered.

"We set up guards at every main entrance, and we closed many of them."

He stopped suddenly, and the three leaders noticed that they were in front of the broken landing doors of the subway platform. In the tunnel, there was already an unbearable grinding noise and the walls were shaking as the train arrived. Dust was falling from the ceiling. An 'emergency exit' sign was flashing on the other side of the rails.

"You know how to do it," Jeonghan said as a bright light appeared in the tunnel.

Brakes squealed as the subway entered the station. Wonwoo, Jihoon and Minghao stepped away from the edge of the platform and got into position to run. "Get off at Colosseum. I'll let Seokmin know."

The subway then entered the station, at a reduced speed but without ever stopping. Jihoon saw Jeonghan standing just a few centimeters from the train, without flinching. With their hearts beating, the three leaders ran towards the train and threw themselves inside. They collapsed into the train, adrenaline rushing and heart pounding.

"I'll never get used to it," Wonwoo let go, out of breath.

The subways, once launched, would not stop at any station because the risk was that they would not start again. So you had to throw yourself inside. On the ground, the three leaders felt the train speed up. A faint light flashed on the ceiling of the car while the subway creaked and trembled on all sides. Standing on an old rusty bar, Wonwoo stood to observe a plan that was pinned crooked and half torn. He looked for Line 4, the departure and arrival stations. He counted how far apart they were.

"It's going to take us at least half an hour." he said.

He sat down because the subway was shaking so much that it was almost impossible to stand. The trip went by without any of them talking; it was impossible to hear each other anyway with the din of the subway creaking against the rails. Jihoon counted the stations, and when the next one was their destination , he got up and stood up firmly on the bars. The subway slowed down to enter the station and as soon as the platform was in sight, he rushed to the doors and jumped off the train, closely followed by the other two leaders. Driven by speed, they fell on the wet asphalt and rolled a few meters.

"Well! What a landing!" a cheerful voice mocked.

The leaders struggled to get up and removed the dust from their clothes before turning to the silhouette they could vaguely make out in the light of a control box and its small red and green lights.

"Seokmin, I presume?" Jihoon asked.

"In person," the man replied. "Follow me, I'll take you to the nearest exit from where you want to go."

He walked down a tunnel and the resistance fighters followed him closely, not wanting to get lost in the maze of underground passages. They noticed that the man still had his hand against a wall, something that experienced Foxes who knew the area well enough to find their way without walking along the walls usually didn’t need to do.

"Are you new here?" Jihoon asked, intrigued.

"Yes," Seokmin answered. "I arrived a few days ago and I still need time to get used to it."

"Where are you from?" Minghao continued.

Seokmin hesitated for a moment before answering:

"I was... I was up there..."

Wonwoo had a grin before asking sharply: "And what made you go over to the other side?"

Seokmin remained silent, and Wonwoo did not insist. A heavy tension had risen between the Fox and the resistance members. After several minutes of walking, they stopped at the bottom of a stairway that went up to the surface. A thin ray of light infiltrated between the debris that covered the exit and Wonwoo took the opportunity to try to see Seokmin's face, but he was smart enough to stay in the shadows.

"From here you will enter the Colosseum district. Be careful, there’s very tight security , especially tonight. Turn right when you go out, this way will be safer. Goodbye."

Then without a word, he walked away and disappeared into the dark maze. The three leaders went up the stairs and pushed a few piles of garbage before managing to get out. Night had fallen and wrought-iron street lamps lit up the town. They had never been to the Colosseum area, which had nothing to offer them and was too well protected. Those who lived there were privileged, very wealthy and thought highly of the Tiger.

At first glance, the old subway entrance and the canopy above it served as a dump at the back of some store, accessible through a narrow alley between two buildings. Wonwoo took a look in the alley. On the left, he saw a wide street crowded with people, all going in the same direction. On the right, a smaller and less busy street.

"Seokmin told us to go to the right," Minghao reminded him.

And all three of them went in that direction. They hid the bottom of their faces with their scarves and the top with a cap before venturing out into the street. Then they saw the Colosseum. It was gigantic. It looked like the historical monument from which it was inspired, the Colosseum of Rome, but it was bigger, more modern, more eccentric. Above its high concrete walls flew the flag of Hoshi's Kingdom, black with orange stripes. High floodlights lit the arena surrounded by the huge bleachers.

The three leaders were impressed. They had always seen the building in pictures and in reality, it looked like a colossus of metal and concrete dominating the entire capital. Jihoon took out his phone to take a picture of it, even though he was sure he would never forget that feeling of seeming tiny at the foot of the Colosseum. As they approached, the tension increased. Minghao kept his hand firmly on his bag for fear that it might be checked and ammunition found. Wonwoo lowered his head so his face could not be seen. Jihoon nervously tapped the pocket of his jacket in which his revolver was hidden.

At the foot of the Colosseum, a dense crowd was gathering. By looking at the state of each one, the three leaders were able to deduce which door to go to. They followed those who were most poorly dressed, most often with holes in their clothing or patched up with what they had to hand. Jihoon looked in the other direction, where a rich crowd piled up at the gates of the Colosseum. The people were dressed in bright colors and spoke loudly, seemingly taunting even the most modest.

Carried away by the people around them, the three leaders approached a ticket office where people were buying their tickets to see the horrible spectacle. Jihoon, Wonwoo and Minghao's turn came quickly. The ticket saleswoman, in a cold tone, asked them to prove their loyalty to the state.One by one, they showed the object on them celebrating tigers. Then she asked them which seats they wanted to buy, and they replied,"The cheapest ones, please."

She quickly checked on her computer and instantly printed out three tickets for them. "90,000 won," she said. They paid the sum without delay. "Door 17," she added coldly. "Goodbye."

And she let them go, which the leaders did not hesitate to do. They walked to Door 17, as indicated, and a few people were already crowding in front of it. Two guards, wearing tiger's head helmets, watched the access. The first scanned the bags with a strange machine and the second searched the people.

"How are we going to do it?" Minghao discreetly asked his two friends. "We'll never get through."

"We have two solutions," Wonwoo announced as they approached the guards. "Either we can trick them, or we can go through by force."

They then arrived in front of the guards. They showed their tickets, and as the two men in front of them asked them to give their bags, they exchanged furtive glances and understood each other without a word. Suddenly, Jihoon elbowed the first guard violently in the stomach while Wonwoo took care of the second. Minghao kicked them out of the way before the three leaders fled into the Colosseum. They rushed up a crowded staircase and jostled people to get through. They did not know if the guards would follow them, but the crowd would hide them.

After already climbing two flights of stairs, they slowed the pace. Nervously, they looked around to see if they were being chased, but there was no abbrupt movement among the people who were mechanically climbing the steps to the top floors of the Colosseum. A little reassured, they continued to climb. When they finally reached the top of the endless staircase, they were struck by a cold wind. Then they realized where they were.

They dominated the entire capital from the top of the gigantic walls of the Colosseum. All the buildings looked tiny, except for Hoshi's palace. You could clearly see the differences between the rich neighborhoods of Seoul, and the others... The flags of the Kingdom were struck by the cold wind and flapping in the rhythm of the gusts. The bleachers of the Colosseum were already full; one would think that people came willingly to witness Hoshi's tyranny. Night covered the capital with a dark veil, pierced by the light of the spotlights that lit up the arena in the center of the building.

Wonwoo put his scarf back on his nose, and signaled his friends to follow him to their seats. They weren't in the last row, but if people stepped forward in the arena, they wouldn't be able to see their faces from so far away. The three leaders sat side by side. They were surrounded by the noisy murmur of the crowd, speculating about what they would see. Wonwoo did not understand human nature, and what in it drove it to quench its thirst for blood and violence. The eldest of the leaders nervously put on his scarf and cap to cover his face, as if he was ashamed to be seen, him, resistant to the depths of his soul, witnessing the King's omnipotence. Next to him, Jihoon kept his eyes fixed on the arena while Minghao watched the crowd, his hand clutching his weapon. In the center of the amphitheater was a huge stage richly decorated with golden tiger sculptures, and most astonishingly, the impressive pedestal in its center was a large lion with its mouth wide open. Jihoon saw women, probably servants of the king, bustling around the podium, putting up the final ornaments such as plants or a red carpet. Jihoon turned his gaze away from the arena for a moment to concentrate on the bleachers. He easily noticed the royal box on the other side of the Colosseum. There too, maidservants were busy, carefully preparing an oversized throne, while guards stood on either side of the wide balcony of the box.

Suddenly, the lights on the bleachers went out, and the crowd fell silent. The murmur of the Colosseum disappeared into the night, driven away by a quiet tension. After a few seconds, during which the wind whistled between the high bleachers, lifting a few grains of sand from the arena, triumphant music was heard. Then a door opened and a brass band came on stage.

"He has a great sense of showmanship." Minghao whispered sarcastically to his friends, before the enthusiastic shouts of the crowd covered his voice.

Musicians walking in rhythm came to stand on either side of the stage and played for a few more minutes before they stopped and kept only a loud drum roll. Then a palanquin appeared in the arena, carried by eight men wearing bronze lion-head helmets and leather outfits. In the crowd, murmurs of surprise rose, and the three leaders of the Resistance seemed just as surprised. The man on the palanquin was certainly not Hoshi. 

He was wearing a large fur coat, sand-colored like a lion skin. It must have been one. Underneath, he was wearing bright white clothes, decorated with gold and jewelry.The top of his face was hidden by a gold lion mask, and his head was decorated with a large headdress that looked like a mane in every way. If Hoshi was the Tiger, this man was the Lion. Screens around the bleachers showed images of the procession so that everyone could see, admire, and cheer him. 

The guards set down the palanquin, and with a royal gait, head held high and with elegance, the man climbed onto the stage and then onto the lion-shaped pedestal. A maid brought him a microphone. He took what was handed to him, then spoke:

"Good evening to all! Faithful followers of His Majesty the Tiger, welcome! Our wonderful sovereign has invited us here to witness his glory, and I am honored to be your master of ceremonies for tonight! But excuse my rudeness, let me introduce myself: our beloved King has recently appointed me as the head of Culture and Entertainment of our country! I am delighted to be here to preside over the first edition of the Circus Games! The first of a long series, I do hope! I'm here for your amusement, I'm here for your entertainment! I'm here to make the crowd roar! I am... the Lion!"

And the crowd, as he had said, fervently cheered the Tiger's new ally as he greeted the audience. Jihoon, Minghao and Wonwoo, not to appear suspicious, applauded as loud as they could. There was a close-up of the Lion's face, and on all the screens his face was seen in detail. He had tanned skin, sublimated by golden powder that made his face shimmer. His lips stretched into a sly smile and his teeth appeared slightly, enough to distinguish sharp canines. His eyes were proud and satisfied. Under his headdress, his hair was visible: it was bright red.

Jihoon took out his phone and took a picture of one of the screens displaying the Lion's face so he could illustrate the file they were going to make about him. The silver-haired man then noticed Wonwoo, who seemed frozen, his face terrified, staring at the big screen. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Hey, Wonwoo ? Are you all right?"

The purple-haired leader jumped back and nodded nervously. "Yes, I was just thinking..." he explained.

Jihoon frowned suspiciously before shrugging his shoulders and giving up.The Lion then continued his speech:

"Now, faithful followers of our King, please rise... for the entrance of the Tiger!"

Immediately, the clamor of the crowd disappeared and everyone in the audience stood up, instinctively placing their right hand up to the height of their heads and imitating the claws of a tiger. The brass band began to play the hymn of Hoshi's kingdom. He was here. The king was about to show himself. Jihoon felt his heart pounding in his chest. Never in ten years of Resistance had he seen the king with his own eyes. And so he appeared.

He stepped out onto the balcony, dressed in a heavy tiger fur coat, a golden helmet in the shape of a tiger head hiding his face. Beside him walked Sheba, his pet tigress. She followed him everywhere, and she could be distinguished from other tigers by her gold collar with the name of Hoshi on it. The king sat on the throne while the big cat laid on a carpet. The hymn ended, and Hoshi was handed a microphone. He took it, and then a tremendous roar of wild beast was heard which, amplified by the speakers, made the walls of the Colosseum trembled. Jihoon felt shivering - probably from fear; how could a human know how to roar so well? In response, the audience shouted, and the roar of the cheering crowd answered the king. 

"So here he is..." Minghao whispered quietly. "After all this time, he finally shows up in front of us..."

"Why does he seem so unapproachable?... "Jihoon wondered aloud.

And Wonwoo said nothing, keeping his eyes fixed on the Lion who, going up a stairway, joined the King on his balcony, while the stage was quickly dismantled. The Lion then spoke again:

"Bring in the convicts!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's been a long time! Sorry for the wait, but you know, writing in English is really hard for me! I tried my best! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. The Damnation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW : Violence, blood, death

A wide door opened and soldiers from the Brigade brought the prisoners into the arena. All the profiles were different: there were all genders, ages and ethnicities. There were about fifteen of them, dressed in poor, dirty rags, barely covering their skeletal bodies. They walked in a line, one behind the other, slowed down by the heavy chains attached to their wrists; yet the cruel guards still beat them, making them hurry to their own doom faster.

The crowd shouted insults at the prisoners, who had dared, in one way or another, to oppose their glorious king. Minghao clenched his fists at the sight, but Jihoon reminded him with a warning look that they were there only to watch, and that they would be powerless. The guards detached the condemned once they reached the center of the arena, then left through the door from which they had come. The fifteen people waited motionless, covered in humiliation and suffering from the weight of the spectators' gaze.

The Lion, at the King's side, exclaimed joyfully: "Let's start without delay, my friends! I can't wait to see this beautiful massacre! Aren't you excited?"The crowd cheered in response, stomping their feet on the floor of the bleachers. A sneering smile appeared on the Lion's lips, and he continued: "But... For a perfect 'damnatio ad bestias', we need beasts! All our beasts have been trained to kill! We have given them the taste of flesh and blood! These animals come to us from the four corners of the world, and today you have the chance to admire them!"

The crowd applauded, eager to see the show they had been promised. Jihoon was confused in the midst of these people who saw the death of innocent people as entertainment. He hardly held back his disgust, but played the game of excitement, like Minghao and Wonwoo beside him. While the Lion enjoyed the exhilarating sensation of the delirious public, he was called to order by the Tiger who wanted to see his enemies dead as soon as possible.

"Bring in the beasts!" the Lion shouted in his roaring voice. Two guards opened another door and almost immediately a lion leapt out. Behind him, another guard, armed with a whip, slammed it. The beast advanced with a heavy step in the direction of the convicts, who now understood what would happen to them. "Here is our first guest! " the Master of Ceremonies announced. "This is a beautiful three year old Asiatic lion." The crowd cheerfully welcomed the beast.

"I feel sorry for these animals," Jihoon sighed. "they must be manipulated to become bloodthirsty beasts." The leader of the Resistance looked with pity at the dark ochre-coated feline. When he took a closer look, the lion looked perfectly healthy. It had a lustrous coat and silky mane, without any scars or wounds. The more Jihoon thought about it, the more he saw the contrast between the humans and the animal. The animal was resplendent; with an elegance and presence worthy of the animal kingdom. It was strong but seemed agile, wild but distinguished. Compared to the beast, the humans that were presented to it as a meal did not even seem worthy of its fangs. They were dirty, lean and gaunt, covered with shame and dishonor. They did not deserve such a beautiful lion to get its paws dirty. Jihoon looked at the scene, understanding that it was Hoshi's representation of the world: a world where human beings are worth less than nothing.

"Instead, take pity on the convicts!" Minghao whispered in his ear. The silver-haired man shook his head to chase away his thoughts on the condition of Human and Animal. When he rested his eyes on the sandy track, a jaguar had joined the lion, and the master of ceremonies made the introductions. Other wild animals followed, yet they did not attack. They waited only for their tamer's command, and the tamer waited for a sign from the king. Silence fell on the Colosseum as everyone watched for the Tiger's gesture. The huge screens showed a close-up of the man, but no one could guess what he was feeling behind his golden helmet.

Slowly, the King raised one hand. Jihoon, like the other spectators, was hanging at the slightest of his gestures. His hands were covered with jewelry, most notably long claw-like fingernails made of gold and other gemstones, presumably in an attempt to imitate the claws of a wild beast. This strange jewelry covered all the phalanges of his fingers, giving them an almost fantastic and surreal look. On his right hand, he was also wearing something like brass knuckles topped with real tiger claws. This must have been a formidable weapon in hand-to-hand combat, although Jihoon doubted that the king would ever get his hands dirty.

In the midst of the silence, the hand that Hoshi had raised, he pointed it toward the Lion at his side, whom he signaled to approach by slightly bending his fingers in a beckoning motion. The master of ceremonies did so, and bent down to hear what the almighty Tiger had to say. Then he stood up, and shouted to the silent stadium, "What do you think, my friends? Our glorious sovereign wants to hear from you! Do you want to see those who have offended our King punished for their crime? "The crowd clamorously approved, while in the arena, the condemned surrounded by the beasts seemed to silently beg the spectators to forgive them. "I cannot hear you! Do you want these people to pay for their blasphemy with their blood? "The crowd roared again.

Then Hoshi, satisfied that he was being worshipped in this way, slowly extended his fingers towards the beast tamer. He immediately cracked his whip and the beasts pounced on the convicts. With horror, the three leaders of the Resistance watched the massacre of these unfortunate people. They could barely hear the public unleashing itself around them; all was a distant, muffled noise compared to the cries of the victims of Hoshi's tyranny.

A jaguar hurled itself at a young man who tried in vain to escape, but he had neither the strength nor the hope to survive. The beast leapt up and tore his arm off with the force of his jaw. The blood spurted out and stained the sublime coat of the beast, which with its claws ripped the torso of its prey. The man fell on the sand and desperately screamed when the jaguar tore his stomach. In a few seconds, the man fell silent forever. Around him, the sand was getting red.

Farther on, a beautiful tiger leapt on a woman holding a young girl in her arms. How could anyone accuse a six year old girl of a crime? The tiger rushed towards her, and in a maternal instinct to protect her child, she exposed her back first to the beast. The tiger's claws got into her flesh and with terrifying force, the tiger pulled her back. She let go of her daughter in spite of herself, and the young child cried out in despair. The tiger attacked the woman without mercy. And she, even though her pain was unbearable, cried out her daughter's name and tried to free herself from the beast's claws to go to protect her. But before her horrified eyes, a lion leapt on her daughter and almost tore her head away with the force of his jaw. The little body fell down dead. Her mother's cry was the most terrible of all: a cry of psychological rather than physical pain. Fortunately for her own sanity, the tiger finished her off shortly afterwards.

A teenager ran to a wall of the arena. He jumped, desperately trying to cling to the barriers of the grandstand, yet they were far too high for him. A panther quickly caught up with him, grabbed his legs and pulled him towards the sand. It ripped off his face, before cutting his throat with its long fangs. An old man, left alone in the center of the arena by the other condemned ones trying to escape death, was torn limb from limb by two beasts which dismembered him atrociously, with such violence and rage that they were unknown in the animal kingdom.

Jihoon stayed as long as he could with his eyes focused on the carnage, but he felt himself fainting. So he turned his head away and closed his eyes. He felt Wonwoo's arm wrapped around his shoulders to comfort him, but nothing could erase the nightmare he had just seen and the one he guessed from the dreadful screams of the convicts. It took thirty minutes for the last life to be snatched out of its body, which fell into the bloody dust. Cries of joy rose from the crowd, who applauded the marvelous show of damnation. Jihoon then opened his eyes again, with an unpleasant sensation and hope that it was not real. It was all an illusion of his mind; no, the world couldn't look like that. But the painting was real, flesh and blood on sand. The beasts were going in circles, wandering around the stadium with heavy footsteps, breathing noisily and their hair bristling. Bodies dislocated and mutilated by teeth and fangs were scattered here and there.

The tamer brought the animals, still excited by the slaughter, into their rooms away from the public eye, while other men entered the arena to pick up the scattered human fragments. But the sand was impregnated with red and left a trace of the butchery that had taken place there. The Lion, enthusiastic, harangued the crowd: "How magnificent it was! Did you enjoy the show? For my part, I am delighted. Nothing is beautiful enough to revere our almighty King, but this spectacle was still a sublime sacrifice! "The crowd responded with automatic cheers.

But suddenly they fell silent. Hoshi had just risen from his throne. He walked confidently to the balcony of his royal box, and took the microphone that a maid handed him. He was about to speak. Minghao grabbed his phone to record, and other spectators, far from being linked to the Resistance, did the same. The chinese leader wanted a record, but Hoshi's worshippers wanted a souvenir.

"My dear subjects..." the King started, in a calm voice. This man radiated cruelty in the slightest of his gestures and words. And Jihoon felt it when Hoshi's voice made him shiver. "I'm delighted that you enjoyed this charming spectacle, as did I... Criminals will no longer harm our society, they have received the punishment they deserve. The beasts here are the judges, and the beasts are never wrong in their judgment. I hope that you will be present at the next Games, that you will always appreciate the beauty of the beasts." He paused for a moment of silence and then continued: "Dear Subjects, I have an announcement to make. Even if I am happy to see the justice dispensed by the landowners of our territory, I am sorry to see the crime rate increase. This is why I have decided to create new brigades to ensure security in our Kingdom, and more precisely in our capital." He stopped when he heard a few favorable responses shouted in the public, before resuming only when the perfect silence had returned. "As soon as you leave the Colosseum, you will be given leaflets to inform you about my offer. I know that you will make the right choice… "

He gave the microphone back to the maid, and realizing that the king's tirade was over, the spectators roared to cheer him. Hoshi greeted the crowd with tiger claws with his right hand before turning around and leaving his royal box followed by his tigress Sheba. The Lion encouraged the shouts of the audience, before giving a concluding speech. Already, the public was moving towards the exits of the bleachers. " Shall we go? " suggested Minghao, who wanted to leave the scene of the massacre as soon as possible. Jihoon approved, but Wonwoo did not give an answer right away, staring at the Lion, still in the royal box. After long seconds, he stammered a few excuses and headed for the exit stairs, together with Minghao and Jihoon. 

They followed the crowd and found themselves outside very quickly. They kept a low profile, in case the guards they had seen earlier were still looking for them. There was a lot of commotion around them, the spectators were still exhilarated by the violence. In the middle of the crowd they saw guards handing out the leaflets that Hoshi had promised, and everyone seemed to be fighting over it. The three leaders lost sight of each other at one point, separated by the stampede, but this was not really a problem as they all knew where to meet. Jihoon, the furthest behind, suddenly faced a guard. He was frightened at first, but the guard simply handed him a piece of paper. The leader took it, thanked the man and walked away as fast as he could. Without knowing how, he found himself in the middle of a crowd of well-to-do people, those who were lucky enough to live in comfort. Jihoon looked out of place among them but tried not to appear too foreign to Hoshi's regime by humbly accepting whatever was handed to him, from leaflets to other papers.

When he finally escaped from the human prison, he took a deep breath of fresh air to get rid of the feeling of suffocation, before heading towards the old subway entrance. He then noticed a shiny object in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and noticed a black cat wearing a diamond necklace that reflected the light from the street lamps. The animal did not move but seemed to stare at Jihoon who suddenly felt uncomfortable. He stepped away from the animal's gaze and quickly slipped into the alleyway between two buildings. Minghao and Wonwoo were already waiting under the canopy of the stairs.

"What took you so long?" Minghao complained, visibly tense and nervous.

"They kept handing out stuff in front of the Colosseum. I didn't want to appear disrespectful to our 'beloved' king," Jihoon replied, showing all the papers he had collected.

Wonwoo nodded and agreed with the reason of the late before going underground. They were led by a Fox, whose name they did not know, to their subway line, and their return journey was without any trouble. Once in their little house, they fell on the couch.Minghao almost tore off his belt with the tiger-shaped buckle and threw it somewhere in the room, Jihoon put all his papers on the coffee table, and Wonwoo sighed loudly as he slid down a wall.

"What's wrong, hyung? "Jihoon asked worriedly. Since the beginning of the Games, Wonwoo didn't seem to be in his normal state anymore.

"How could this be right?.... " Wonwoo replied with clenched fists, and the other two leaders noticed that he was starting to cry.

"No kidding, it was really awful... "Minghao sighed painfully. "It was the worst execution Hoshi had ever carried out."

"No, that's not it... "began to explain the eldest of the three, before giving up. "I'm just very tired. And it's been a while since I've eaten anything, I'm starting to run out of strength …"

"Hyung, take care of yourself," Minghao said. "You give yourself too much to do in the Resistance, you're going to end up weak

"At least I would die honoring my convictions. "He said it so harshly that the other two were startled. There was a long moment of tense silence, which Wonwoo understood to be the cause of, which he finally ended by breaking when he resumed,"You want me to tell you what I think? I'm sure this will be the worst year since he became king. It's barely January and he's already announcing his plan: strengthening security, thus further limiting liberties; waves of regular executions without any trial, except the judgment delivered by the beasts, which I consider anything but a trial. What's next? And for us, we barely have enough to survive! No money, so no food, no weapons... What a goddamn world!"

Once again, silence settled in, which no one dared to disturb. Hesitantly, Jihoon ended up giving attention to what he had been handed at the exit of the Colosseum. The first paper was a propaganda leaflet, as they often saw. But they had never seen that one. On a blue background, it was a full face photograph of the Tiger. The King was wearing his usual gold helmet and his heavy tiger fur coat, but this time it was a white tiger fur. He held in his right hand a crystal sphere sparkling with light and in his left hand a forged metal scepter. His fingers were covered with the same jewelry he wore at the Circus Games, but in silvery metal. He seemed to shine with light. At the top of the flyer, a sentence was written in an elegant font: "Look to the West."

"He is referring to the White Tiger of the West," Jihoon easily understood, and the other two who thought the same nodded.

"But wouldn't that mean something different? Wouldn't he be planning... to extend the kingdom to the West? I mean, beyond the Urals? He wouldn't just make a flyer to tell us to watch the sunset!" exclaimed Wonwoo.

"That's right," Minghao confirmed. "Hoshi has always been very good at subtle manipulation, there's no denying that. He's without doubt preparing, in addition to new brigades, the levying of a new army ... "

Wonwoo approached and took the flyer from Jihoon's hands. He then put it in a folder that they kept for Hoshi's propaganda, while the silver-haired man leaned over a magazine that had been given out to him. On the cover was Hoshi's leader of the Oceanian territories, one of his many puppets. The content of the magazine was not very interesting, being limited to a few political interviews. The paper ended up feeding the fire in the fireplace.

After several minutes of choosing what to keep and what to throw into the fire, there were two last leaflets left. The first one showed soldiers from the brigades in various situations: one was helping a child who had been injured, another was climbing a tree to look for a cat that was stuck in it, a third one was arresting a man who looked like a thief, and the last one, depicted in the center of the flyer, was proudly holding a rifle against him. Minghao, who had the leaflet in his hands, read what was written inside.

"Make our nation proud by joining the Brigades of the Tiger. Serve the Kingdom and our almighty King will hold you in high regards. Fulfill the noble tasks of the Brigades and ensure the security of our kingdom while guaranteeing unity and peace. Honor our immortal beloved Tiger blah blah blah blah... Will people actually believe this bullshit?..." said the Chinese.

"Sadly, yes," Wonwoo sighed.

As the two leaders engaged themselves in a lively discussion about human naivety, Jihoon grabbed the last flyer. Hoshi was sitting on his throne of gold and red velvet, in front of a tapestry representing a tiger in gold thread on a red silk and wool background. Behind the tapestry, the whiteness of a marble wall could be distinguished. The Tiger had a presence which did not leave anyone indifferent, even hidden behind his helmet. Looking at the picture, Jihoon wondered which face could be hidden behind the tiger's helmet. The leader liked to think that the King was hideous and hid his appearance out of shame, and this thought, though childish, sometimes reassured Jihoon that even the most untouchable human being had a weakness.

Jihoon unfolded the paper. Inside, in a seemingly handwritten font, was a text printed in gold letters on a white background. The text was illustrated with pictures that seemed to come straight out of a dream.

"Where did you get this? "asked Wonwoo, who leaned over the other Resistance leader to read.

"I think it was when I found myself with the snobs at the exit of the Colosseum. A guard was handing out these sheets of paper. I suppose, given my wealth, I should never have had it."

The text said something like this: "There's not a human being on this earth who hasn't dreamed of being at the Court of the Tiger. This is the blessing that our Almighty King gives to the Tiger Guards. These elite army corps ensure the security of the Royal Palace and the protection of the most divine tiger among humans. This is a noble task, which the Guards have been performing for the past ten years, chosen from an elite group of faithful worshippers of the King. The Guards have the privilege to live in the Palace on a daily basis and enjoy all of its luxuries in exchange for perfect allegiance to the Crown. The Guards worship the King, and the King blesses them for their loyalty. Perhaps you are one of the elite? "

Members of the Resistance had seen for a long time how Hoshi was inspired by all the great leaders of powerful and authoritarian nations for his propaganda and the cult of his personality. But they saw for the first time how the King thought of himself as a god among men.

"Well that's not a surprise that he only gives this shit to the snobs: they are fanatics and they won't say anything if this madman compares himself to a god! " hissed Minghao, irritated.

"He really managed to deify himself... It's scary," Wonwoo added.

"Look! "Jihoon suddenly interrupted." It says here that the Royal Guards can only stay at their post for one year for security reasons. But the pay for one year... it's huge! "

"What do we care? It just reminds us that we're poor! "the chinese leader laughed bitterly.

“Remember when I convinced you to attend the Circus Games because I had a feeling? I think... that's why," he explained, pointing to the leaflet. "What if we try to join the Royal Guard?"

A heavy silence greeted Jihoon's proposal. The other two leaders of the Resistance remained stunned, to the point of not moving anymore. Then Wonwoo laughed nervously, quickly followed by Minghao. But the two seeing that the third was not laughing with them froze in dismay.

"You're not serious right? "the elder asked curtly. "Jihoon? You didn't mean it did you?"

Feeling the weight of the tension in the stares of his friends, he lowered his eyes.

"Damn it Jihoon!" Wonwoo shouted, which surprised the other two. "Do you realize how fucked up you are right now?! First you want to go see Hoshi's show of cruelty because you have a ‘feeling’, and now you want to join his personal guard?!"

Jihoon bit his lip, before sighing. "You're right... I... I must be tired, sorry."

"I like that better," Wonwoo concludes rudely, before calming down. "I think the three of us have been through a lot today. We're going to try to get some rest, and we'll feel better tomorrow, okay?"

Low murmurs approved his proposal. The elder sighed before moving away from the coffee table around which they were gathered to fetch the extra mattress on which he usually slept. As he walked past the silver-haired man, he ordered him, "Throw it into the fire Jihoon."

A few minutes later, the three leaders were lying on their makeshift beds, on the ground and by the fire to warm up. But Jihoon couldn't bring himself to burn the leaflet. In the light of the flames, he kept looking at the golden letters, and all the information they conveyed: what the guards' duties were, how important they were to the king... He soon realized that they were constantly with the most powerful person in this world, and Jihoon concocted some ambitious plans. One year with the Tiger was a great chance to get to know him, to find his weak points and to discover his plans before he achieves them. And the Tiger did not seem to be wary of his bodyguards, so to attack him would be all the easier. Jihoon was convinced by his own arguments, and he also saw other positive points: the guard's salary would allow them to buy new weapons and even a new home.

While the other two leaders were sleeping, Jihoon could not. His instincts rarely faltered and he felt that he had something to try. Maybe something crazy, but something that might work. He put the flyer next to him, and looked at the flames, which were genuinely the most distracting thing in the house of the Resistance leaders. He thought about his plans, so he could be sure of them before he fell asleep. He was about to apply to join the Royal Guard. Hopefully, he would be accepted, and according to the leaflet, training would begin in February so that by the end of May the previous guard would be replaced. He would then have a year to do all that he had to do.

However, there were still some impediments to this ambitious project. Hoshi was only distributing this leaflet to the wealthiest, and Jihoon was not. His application would be immediately rejected. He also had to change his identity because Lee Jihoon was known to the Tiger's intelligence services, so presenting himself under his real name was inconceivable. The silver-haired leader knew how to get around the second problem, but confronted with the first one, he remained perplexed.

At about five o'clock in the morning, while the other two were still sleeping, Jihoon came out of their small house and walked through the wild vegetation-covered ruins toward the subway entrance. He had taken care to dress as warmly as he could, because the mornings were chilly, to take a flashlight because the sun was not yet shining in the sky, and of course, to take the leaflet that he was so obsessed with.

He went underground quickly and walked for a few minutes through the dark corridors before a familiar voice called out to him. "Jihoon? You again?" The Resistance leader recognized the familiar voice of his old friend Jeonghan. Without knowing which way to turn to address the Fox, he replied.

"Yes, I wanted to see you. But I didn't think you'd be on guard so early since you were yesterday."

"You're lucky," replied the Fox, whose silhouette Jihoon could finally distinguish in the light of an emergency exit sign. "I have been assigned guard duty in place of one of our men who died in the night. "He said it with a detachment that made the silver-haired man shudder.

"How?" he asked.

"Hit by a subway. It happens. Anyway, whatever. How can I help you?"

"It's pretty complicated... I need to pretend to be one of Hoshi's privileged few. Actually, I'd need an address in town, and since you have a lot of connections, I thought you could help me find that."

Jeonghan hummed and thought for a few seconds before answering. "What is certain is that I personally would have nothing to give you. But ask Seokmin. He comes from up there, he must be able to find you an address."

"Where can I find him?"

Jeonghan then picked up his strange phone and called directly to ask him. He answered immediately.

"A problem, hyung?"

"Where are you now?"

"At the Lair, why?"

"Go to Sadang. There's someone who wants to see you."

He hung up and turned to Jihoon. Without giving him time to ask any questions, he led him to the subway platform.

"You heard me: get off at Sadang and you'll find Seokmin there. I hope he can help you."

Jihoon felt strangely uncomfortable because of the almost professional distance Jeonghan put between them. This was nothing new, but perhaps on that day Jihoon would have liked to talk more emotionally. The resistance fighter drove these thoughts out of his mind, and focused on his mission. He must not ramble. A few minutes later, after a chaotic ride, he got off at the station that the Fox had indicated to him. He spotted Seokmin thanks to the light of the subway that was left behind.

"So it was you who wanted to see me?" Seokmin wondered. "We don't really know each other, though."

"I know, but with what you told us yesterday, you may be the best person to help me."

"What can I do for you? "the intrigued Fox asked.

"I need an address on the surface. And since you're new here, you might still have contacts who could find that for me."

Seokmin nodded, although Jihoon did not see him in the dark. The Fox did not bother to ask why: this question was taboo in a climate of tension like Hoshi's regime was. He finally answered:

"I have a friend, Hansol, who might be able to help you. I can contact him and ask if he can lend you his address."

"Is he trustworthy? "asked Jihoon.

"He doesn't work for Hoshi. And he's an old friend, I think he's safe."

Jihoon grimaced, not quite satisfied with the answer. But he had asked for his help, and since it was his only solution, he couldn't refuse it. He wondered one last time if the risks he was about to take were worth it, before answering the Fox.

"I'll go for it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello !
> 
> I have to admit that this chapter was quite difficult to write because I don't have a lot of vocabulary in English to describe violence. I hope you liked it though!   
> Many thanks to my beta reader who corrected the chapter <3


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